The present invention is in the technical field of measurement of electric parameters.
More particularly, the present invention is in the technical field of voltage and current phasor measurements on an alternating current (a.c.) power distribution grid, and employing those phasor measurements to detect a cyber attack on remotely-operable elements of that power distribution grid.
Electric power distribution grids, including substations, are commonly used to move a.c. power from high-voltage transmission lines towards a set of loads, and sometimes to move power from distributed generation resources.
These electric power distribution grids, including substations, contain elements such as switches, bus connecting elements, interrupting elements, and transformer tap changing elements. To improve energy efficiency and grid reliability, these elements are often configured for remote operation, for example by an operator at a Distribution Grid Control Center.
Such a remote operation generally takes place through a communication network. Often, the remotely-operable element can report its present state. For example, a distribution grid control center might be able to ask a remotely-operable switch to report if it is “on” or “off”, and a distribution control center could instruct such a remotely-operable switch to change its state from “off” to “on”.
Such automated systems can be subject to cyber attack, an event in which unauthorized individuals or organizations attempt to take control of remotely-operated elements in a distribution grid, or attempt to cause remotely-operated elements to incorrectly report their state, or both.
In our Department of Energy ARPA-E Project DE-AR0000340, titled “Micro-Synchrophasors for Distribution Systems,” we have been investigating the application of synchrophasor measurements to medium-voltage distribution grids, as opposed to the traditional application to high-voltage transmission grids. Due to smaller inductances and shorter distances on distribution grids compared to transmission grids, the phase angle changes during interesting phenomena on distribution grids are much smaller. We have determined that, for distribution grid applications, a angular resolution for voltage phasors and current phasors of ±0.015° could be useful.
Such voltage phasor and current phasor measurements can be used to detect cyber attacks on distribution systems.